Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will continue street protests to pressure the government into meaningful dialogue, arguing that talks without resistance would not yield results.
Read More: KP CM doubts govt’s talks offer, says efforts on to start street movement
Speaking to journalists in Lahore after a three-day visit aimed at mobilising party supporters, Afridi said reconciliation was impossible unless the opposition demonstrated its strength on the streets. He maintained that protests would continue until the ruling parties recognised the PTI as an equal stakeholder and came to the negotiating table.
Sohail Afridi isn’t wasting time on TV debates. He’s taking it to the streets. He calls Maryam’s bluff: you hold a jalsa in Peshawar, he holds one in Punjab, and the people will decide who truly holds the mandate.
You may sit in power through handlers, but real authority lives… pic.twitter.com/1lb6CfsNpT
— PTI USA Official (@PTIOfficialUSA) December 28, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has expressed serious reservations regarding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of dialogue, citing a persistent “dictatorship mindset” and a visible lack of sincerity. He reiterated that Chairman Imran Khan has assigned the… pic.twitter.com/qNRGLW1xSf
— PTI Punjab (@PTIPunjabPK) December 28, 2025
His remarks come amid divisions within the party, with one group of senior leaders favouring dialogue and another pushing for street agitation in line with the directives of PTI founder Imran Khan, who remains incarcerated. Afridi said he was responsible for leading the street movement, while the decision to formally initiate talks rested with the broader opposition alliance.
Addressing criticism that past protests had failed to deliver results, the chief minister said the party would avoid “tall claims” this time and focus on practical efforts to achieve a positive outcome. He also suggested that any offer of dialogue from the government likely came after direction from powerful quarters, adding that talks could only be productive if “power-wielding individuals” were part of the process.
Afridi accused the ruling parties of corruption and economic mismanagement, claiming the establishment now recognised that the incumbent rulers were unable to steer the country forward. He said it was not necessary for protests to be limited to Islamabad’s D-Chowk or to end after a few days, announcing Karachi as his next destination for mobilisation.
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said dialogue could only begin once basic principles were agreed upon, including discussions on alleged election fraud and the release of Imran Khan. Otherwise, he said, the party would continue its street movement.
Read More: Achakzai, Nasir Abbas given mandate for talks, protest: KP CM
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari dismissed the protests as ineffective, calling them “social media hype” and claiming they failed to attract public support. She urged PTI leaders to focus instead on governance and public welfare in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.